Another clunk!

OK, leaving for the flea market this AM...

About four miles from house, at 50 or so, get a rrriiiiiiittttt-clunk. Stop and check, nothing obviouls. The rrriiiiiiiitttt sound is fast (much faster than once per tire revolution). Once the clunk happens, all is quiet for the rest of the trip.

Finish the flea market, and headed to Wally World. About 40 MPH and get the exact same thing, but sooner, about two miles into the drive. Exact same noise. A quick rrriiiiiiittttt (we're talking a couple of seconds) and the clunk.

Finish Wally World, and pull out of the parking lot. A (short) block, make a left turn, and in the middle of the turn 'Clunk'. No rrriiiiitttt sound, but pronounced clunk.

Each time, happens once then never happens again for that drive. Three trip segments, got almost the same thing each time (with the exception that the third time, the pre-noise didn't happen.

The clunk feels and sounds just like a stuck brake pad, but since the truck was rolling (without any obvious binding that I could tell) this seems odd.

Recent repair(s): New pads all four corners. New hub on left front. Tires are OK.

Dodge Ram 2500 HD Hemi, automatic, standard cab.

Anyone like to take a WAG?

Reply to
PeterD
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Who replaced pads? Might want to look at them.

Reply to
Bill

If one of the pistons on the calibers is sticking you will hear that clunk when it releases suddendly. You stated that you replaced all 4 pads. Do you mean all 4 wheels? Check the back since the drive train is pushing the vehicle. If it was a front you might feel it pull to one side or another.

Reply to
Licker

Me! And I will look into them. They have about 8K miles on them now (since Feb) including two round trips to Florida from New England without problems, but that's not saying much...

I think tomorrow I'll toss it on the lift and pull all four wheels and do a good visual.

Reply to
PeterD

Yes, all four corners. Only had one bad pad (for some reason one of the rear pads word more than any of the others) but since I had to pull the front hub to replace it, I did the pads in front too--cost for parts was trivial overall, and labor was already done.

Since all four wheels are dual-piston calipers one sticking piston might just be the problem.

Reply to
PeterD

Could the brake fluid be contaminated? Check out

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or
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, post #5. FMB (North Mexico)

Reply to
FMB

If it is contaminated, it happened without opening the master cylinder! I didn't add (or remove) any fluid when doing the brakes--monitored the level and it was OK before and after (higher after, but OK both times).

I think the first thing it to check at the wheels. Bear is that of course it is not a terribly visual thing to see.

Oddly, one other (missing in my other post) was this happened after driving in light rain. Not the first wet driving since the last repair work by a long shot, but it was the first wet drive for some weeks. I wonder if the caliper pins have some rust/corrosion?

Reply to
PeterD

CLUE

Only had one bad pad (for some reason one of the rear pads word more than any of the others)

CLUE Hint - one pad worn more than others is a sure sign of a sticking caliper/piston. I'm betting that one of the calipers isn't sliding properly and the clunk your hearing is the caliper shifting against the pins.

Reply to
Steve W.

And them's big clues, too... When I pull the wheels I bet I see uneven wear on that corner again. At least I hope so.

Reply to
PeterD

Does it have anti-lock brakes?

Reply to
Bill

Yes, but I don't think that is the problem. (Think, but hell at this point could be, that was my first thought originally!) Yesterday on a short drive, it made a noise, a very metalic grinding, lasted a couple of seconds and went away, like always. No precursor to the noise, nothing after either.

Almost like there was a small rock caught in the pad/rotor area that was occasionally dropping down into the works, so to speak.

No question, just got to find time to put it on the lift and pull the wheels for an inspection. Now if those blasted wheels were not so hard to get off...

Reply to
PeterD

How did you replace the pads? Did you compress the slave cylinders? Forcing fluid backwards? Or open the valve to allow it to escape, but you mentioned you did not add any fluid having to do with the contamination post.

Reply to
Bill

Fluid backwards, which is how i usually do it.

Truck's in the lift bay now, and tomorrow I'll lift it up, pull the wheels (where's that blasted sledge hammer?) and see if there is any thing obvious. Maybe I'll see something.

Q: Am I the only one who has difficulity getting the wheels (stock steel) off? I find the center hub always sticks, and it takes a couple of wacks with the hammer to break 'em loose (we're talking NH road salt, too...)

Reply to
PeterD

That's the problem.... NH...!

I do believe with anti lock brakes, you are not supposed to force the fluid backward.

Has to do with the anti lock stuff.

That may be your problem.

You mentioned it happens once during any trip, then does not happen until you power it off, and back on again.

Could be one of those anti lock valves is causing problems.

Might try and flush all the fluid out by replacing each line till it flows clear.

PIA, but you live in NH...

I do NOT miss the snow. But I do get an awful lot of Hurricanes this way..

Reply to
Bill

Correct... you could flush some of the junk inside the caliper back up into the ABS pump. Always open the bleeder before pushing the piston back. It gets some old fluid out, takes any gunk with it, and (most importantly) keeps the bleeder screw from siezing (if done on a regular basis) so that when you go to bleed/flush the whole system, you don't snap off a siezed-up bleeder screw.

Nope, you're definitely not the only one. Try a coat of anti-sieze around the hub before replacing the wheel. It will slow down the rust formation. Regular tire rotation, coupled with anti-sieze, will keep the wheels from rusting/siezing to the hub.

Reply to
Tom Lawrence

I woke up last night about 2 AM... A loud voice, and a flashing red light said "Check the Parking Brake"... In the past, that voice has been right more often than wrong, so I'll also check the parking brake.

(I'm used to trucks that have the parking brakes as part of the main braking system, so I didn't think about it before...)

Reply to
PeterD

I hate to leave a thread (I've started) without resolution... So here it is:

The right front hub has failed. The left one failed in February, now the right.

I will start another thread, I know Chrysler had a recall on hubs (not

2004s) and I'm wondering if anyone else is having the same problem. IMHO, the odds that two hubs fail, for the same reason (clearly lack of lubrication) is very suspect given the other recall.
Reply to
PeterD

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